Importing Cosmetic Products: Ang tuwid na daan pa-customs

Last Monday was a significant-but-not-really significant day for Filipinos who are monitoring Pinoy's plan for a "tuwid na daan." For me, it was yet another day for experimenting. I was hypothesizing that the Customs people will tax me way more than they should for $80 worth of skincare products from sasa.com and $50 from roseroseshop.com.

Especially since I have fair skin and small eyes, it was bound to be a disaster. But I came prepared. I had been researching ever since I got a notice from Philpost's Central Mail Exchange Center a day after I was supposed to receive a door-to-door delivery from the online store. In the delivery card, it said the package from HK still has to go through "Customs Inspection". "Inspection, ulol", was may knee-jerk reaction. Another card said I had to claim it at Mandaluyong City's central post office, which was just 1 ride away from our place. That package (from roseroseshop.com of Korea) was also for customs inspection.



First, I had to know where this Philpost CMEC place was. Domestic road, Pasay. Great. I had to take a leave then. Next, I tried to find a computation for the duties. The Bureau of Customs have their duties calculator here and the basis of the formula on the page is also available here. Using the first link, I arrived at

Okay. I can handle that.

So as not to bring too little money for my duties and altogether wasting my leave, I decided to verify the calculation with the Internet. And there the horror stories came pouring in. Some forum posters experienced paying 30% of their package's value. Shit, isang libo agad sa akin yun. But, I can somehow handle that, especially if it really is the right amount to pay. I had to verify again. Then came this guy who was taxed by 100% of his item's cost and this very lucky guy who was taxed for 200% of the item's cost. 200% effing percent! So I need to bring around 7000 php just to be sure?!

That day, Monday, July 22, 2013 I just had to skip coffee. I cannot be jumpy and all for who knows what I'll do if they'll ask for that much. I had a heavy breakfast since I read somewhere that the process of claiming EMS packages, which were good as door-to-door packages in other countries, took too damn long. Order receipt from sasa.com, check. Money, check. My composure, check. 

When I arrived at the Mandaluyong post office, there was no line for the window which was supposed to release the package from Korea. After asking for the tracking number and verifying my ID, the lady brought my package quickly. Wala pang 5 minutes! Okay, nice start. Then she told me to pay the fee. "Neng, 50 pesos." 50 pesos lang! I almost believed in a god at that moment, with matching choir and rays of sunlight overhead. So I paid the fee with a smile and headed to Boni to catch a bus bound for NAIA.

Thing is, I had no idea how to get to Domestic road. All I know is this. 

CMEC Office at Domestic Road

The bus conductor, I'm presuming he's new with the job, did not know where my bus stop is. Okay... Thankfully, my phone was charged enough and its GPS was able to locate me. Cue choir sounds again. When I got there, I was made to wait for 30 minutes while they were locating my package. Then I was sent to the customs office, which was a separate, warehouse-type building about 50m from the CMEC building.

When I got there the place smelled like shit. As in figuratively. Apparently, someone from Korea sent some kimchi here, under also the wrong assumption that EMS in the Philippines meant "Express". Sure, express, but in Filipino time as their process is not automated. After waiting for about an hour, I was called to inspect the contents of the package with the customs officer. Nice old lady, by the way. I was again made to wait for about an hour. Already lunch time, a plump lady called my name and handed me a piece of scratch paper. In it, it was said that I had to pay 1385 php, almost 50% of the item cost. I handed her back the paper. She replied with: "Babayaran mo?" with a slight sound of surprise.

Behold, the issued OR from the lady

Except for the ? cells, the calculations match the formula on their site

Look, 50% of the item value sounds like the customs are ripping me off. But aside from those question marks which I cannot trace (which, to BoC's defense, I never bothered to ask at that time since I was too hungry to think), everything adds up. No made up values as experienced by the other bloggers. Maybe I was lucky. Or maybe, such items should not have been taxed in the first place. To be honest, I do not know. And this is why I intend to test the Bureau of Customs again and I still have intent of purchasing from sasa.com. 

There is an annoying parallel story to this though, which by the way I will also publish. Stay tuned!